The Dark Demon God Tiger's Birth Pearl struggled several times inside the skeleton clone's hand. It was as if the pearl had finally realized that no matter how desperately it thrashed, it was already too late to change its fate.
Eventually it fell completely silent and transformed into an ordinary black bead.
Lin Yang examined the Birth Pearl in his hand for a long moment. Without a doubt, compared to a spirit ring, this pearl was the true source of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's power and contained the majority of its strength. If he could absorb this power, his demonic body might undergo another evolution. Even if that proved impossible, the pearl would still be more than sufficient to help him condense his fifth spirit ring.
After storing the Birth Pearl inside his storage bracelet, Lin Yang turned to look at Qian Renxue. A faint gentleness appeared on his face.
"Are you all right?"
Qian Renxue had only just recovered from the shock of the dramatic reversal. She stared at Lin Yang with wide, astonished eyes.
"How… how did you escape?"
"How did the Dark Demon God Tiger suddenly die?"
From Qian Renxue's perspective, the moment Lin Yang was sucked into the black hole, he had essentially died. She had already prepared to flee with the bucket, yet in just a few breaths Lin Yang reappeared—alive and well—and had even slain the Dark Demon God Tiger.
How was that possible?
What exactly had happened inside the black hole?
Why had Lin Yang succeeded where She Long had failed?
Was the Titled Douluo She Long truly inferior to Lin Yang?
Lin Yang smiled and calmly explained the principles of the alternate dimension. Qian Renxue listened in stunned silence. After a long while, she finally managed to stammer a single sentence.
"Why are you so shameless?"
Yes. That was exactly it—cheating.
A six-year-old child facing a soul beast fighting with everything it had—who could possibly defeat that?
No wonder She Long had died with his eyes wide open. It clearly hadn't been a peaceful passing.
"How did you know?"
Curiosity and inquiry filled Qian Renxue's eyes.
Lin Yang simply shrugged. "I was just lucky."
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth in frustration. "Lucky? Do you take me for a three-year-old?"
Judging from everything Lin Yang had done earlier, it was obvious he had known the Dark Demon God's weakness all along. Otherwise they would never have deliberately targeted that protective shield.
She asked no further questions, however. Everyone had secrets, didn't they?
Lin Yang ignored her remark. He dispersed the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's spirit ring, and its corpse gradually faded away before their eyes.
Qian Renxue glanced around several times, then reluctantly looked away.
Given the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's unique constitution and more than forty thousand years of cultivation, it should have produced a spirit bone without fail. Yet now there was not even a single strand of fur left, let alone a bone. The only black pearl that had appeared had already been taken by Lin Yang.
Of course she would never suggest something as foolish as splitting it equally. After all, she had only contributed a few long-range spirit skills, while Lin Yang had handled every dangerous moment alone. She simply didn't have that kind of thick skin.
In short, she had gained nothing from this battle and had even lost her "Douluo" title in the process.
It was fortunate that her grandmother was still suffering!
After clearing her chaotic thoughts, Qian Renxue realized how lucky she had been to survive. If she hadn't encountered Lin Yang while fleeing, she might have been devoured down to the bone.
The surroundings were desolate, but neither of them cared. They sat down on the spot, used medicine to regulate their breathing, and began recovering their spirit power. The skeleton clone stood silently beside them, keeping watch.
When they opened their eyes again, the sky was already beginning to brighten.
That night had truly been long.
Lin Yang stood up. His spirit power had recovered to roughly eighty percent. Qian Renxue's recovery was the same.
She looked at him, opened her mouth, hesitated, then finally decided to speak frankly.
"Lin… Yang, you already know who I am, don't you?"
Lin Yang smiled lightly. "With an Angel martial soul and the surname Qian, it's impossible not to guess."
"I never imagined that a mere Soul King like me would be so highly valued by the Spirit Hall. I'm truly honored."
Qian Renxue regarded him seriously.
"Then let's stop beating around the bush. My real name is Qian Renxue. My grandfather is Qian Daoliu, an elder of the Spirit Hall. He is a level-99 Limit Douluo."
"I came here for you."
"Lin Yang, join the Spirit Hall. Only the Spirit Hall can fully bring out your talent."
Sincerity and determination shone in Qian Renxue's eyes.
"I guarantee that once you join the Spirit Hall, you can obtain anything you desire."
"If you ever reach the Titled Douluo level in the future, the Spirit Hall will mobilize every member to secure a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring for you."
Any ordinary person hearing such generous terms would likely have agreed on the spot. A hundred-thousand-year spirit ring was extremely rare.
Yet Lin Yang's expression remained calm and unmoved, as though a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring held no interest for him whatsoever.
Qian Renxue's heart skipped a beat.
"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Qian," Lin Yang replied in a steady voice. "I appreciate your sincerity, but I'm accustomed to freedom and cannot tolerate being bound. Besides, I have no desire to exploit others without reason."
"The harder it is to repay a favor when the time comes."
"You…"
Qian Renxue's small face flushed bright red.
No one had ever dared reject her so bluntly before—especially not when she was acting as a representative of the Spirit Hall.
But the moment she met Lin Yang's deep gaze, the anger rising inside her inexplicably subsided.
She stared at him for a long moment, then turned on her heel and walked away.
She had only taken two steps before stopping. With a wave of her hand, a golden afterimage shot from her palm toward Lin Yang.
Lin Yang reached out and caught it. It was a golden token.
"Miss Qian, this is…"
Qian Renxue took a deep breath and spoke without turning around.
"This is my identity token. You saved me today. I, Qian Renxue, am not the kind of person who repays kindness with enmity."
"Lin Yang, if you ever come to your senses, come find me at the Spirit Hall. Its doors will always be open for you."
Lin Yang grinned and tucked the token away.
"Thank you very much."
"Hmph!"
Qian Renxue gave a soft snort, spread her pure white wings, and vanished into the distant horizon in an instant.
Watching her departing figure, Lin Yang looked away and muttered to himself.
"All right. Time to go."
After leaving Tiger Fury Mountain, Lin Yang did not return directly to Heaven Dou. Instead, he made a detour to Keren City.
Like Yunlin City, Keren City was a little-known small town. However, it served as the headquarters of the Breaking Clan—one of the four single-attribute clans.
Back then the Breaking Clan had been abandoned by the Clear Sky Sect and suffered devastating losses during the Spirit Hall's surprise attack. They had yet to recover their former strength. Nevertheless, the clan possessed inherited pharmaceutical techniques passed down through generations, allowing them to travel freely between the two great empires. Life was not easy, but it was far better than that of the Speed Clan. At the very least, they still had a place in Keren City.
Lin Yang contacted the Breaking Clan to explore the possibility of establishing a cooperative relationship.
...